The FULL Legend of Zelda
by Krack Munkie
Summary: Update 1/17/13: due to many factors, I will not be writing anymore of this. Sorry to disappoint the few followers I have, but Thanks for reading anyway! Feel free to check out my other TLOZ story "Shadows Return"!
1. Prologue

the **FULL** legend of

Zelda

Before time began, Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din: The Goddess of Power, Nayru: The goddess of Wisdom, and Farore: The goddess of Courage. Din, with her strong, flaming, arms; she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom into the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law. The tree great goddesses, there labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of the worlds providence. And the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm.

People of Hyrule with great ties to the sacred realm and the powers of The Tri-force were known as Sages. Many of these Sages built many temples in reverence to the Goddesses and the elements that were given by them. Along with these temples was The Temple of Time and The Blade of Evils Bane, also known as The Master Sword. The Master Sword was created to protect The Sacred Realm against any that wish to do it harm.

Before long, Nayru's gift of justice and law was abused. The hearts of men were consumed by greed and lust for power. This caused a war to break out between the races of Hyrule to find the Triforce. The wars raged on for Ages until a small race known as The Minish created a sword known as The Picori sword. They gave this sword and a strange power called The Light Force to Gustav: a boy in green clothes, who followed his destiny to stop the wars, and ward of monsters. For this, he was dubbed King of Hyrule. The Picori Sword, later named "The Four Sword", was placed in a pedestal. The king then decreed that every 100 years, a swordsmanship tournament would be heald. The winner of the tournament would be given the chance to touch the legendary blade.

This is where part one of the legacy begins...


	2. The Festival

the FULL legend of

Zelda

t

b Chapter 1: The Festival b

Our story begins on the day of The Picori festival. This is a celebration that is known all throughout Hyrule. A celebration held once every year. This particular year marks 100 years since the lest visit of the Picori. on this day, the door to the land of the Picori is said to open and the small race brings great gifts to the humans to represent the peace that was brought to Hyrule.

Link, a young man with blonde hair, can be found in the upstairs bedroom of his grandfather's blacksmith shop. "Link! Link! Wake up boy!" Smith shouted. Smith was the Royal Blacksmith who owned the shop, as well as Link's grandfather. Suddenly the young man snapped out of his deep sleep and slowly stumbled out of bed. "I'll be right down!" he called with a yawn. after putting on his green tunic, he slowly walked down the stairs until he heard an all too familiar voice. As Link ran down the rest of the stair case, he found the source of the voice. A tall girl with a slim figure with long, flowing, blonde hair. She wore and expensive white dress with pink and gold trimmings. A small crown rested carefully upon the golden hair on the top of her head. "Z...-Zelda!" he called out in excitement. A beautiful smile of contentment played upon her face at the site of the boy. "'Morning sleepy head." she said with a faint giggle. Zelda and Link had been close friends since childhood, but they never saw each other much, considering Zelda was the princess of Hyrule.

"So..." Link said after a few moments of small talk. "...what is so important that you had to come all the way here WITHOUT AN ESCORT?" he asked in a slightly harsh tone. Zelda rolled her eyes childishly, "oh not that again, I don't need any kind of escort, its just a short walk from Castle Town." she groaned. "It's far enough... you know it could be a real problem if something were to happen to you Princess." Smith chimed in before throwing a hunk of steel over the raging fire. "Well... I came to see if I could borrow Link for the day. I thought we could go to the festival together. That way, I'll have him to protect me." she said with a grin. Smith sighed for a moment before moving his attention to Link. "You know Link, you still have things you need to do..." Link slouched a bit. "Awe common Gramps, It's the Festival... Think of it as serving my kingdom by protecting the princess." he said, in hopes to convince his grandfather. Smith let out another long sigh. "Well... I suppose your right... the festival only comes once a year... and I had to run an errand in town anyway." as a look of excitement covered the two young adults, smith approached a nearby wall and grabbed a sword that was mounted on the wall. Smith held the sword out to link. It was a carefully carved blade with common Hylian designs on it. The Hilt was made of pure silver, with a few expensive gems for decoration. "I want you to deliver this to the king It is for the winner of the swordsmanship competition." Link nodded in agreement as he took the sword from the master smith, and arming himself with it. "Sure thing Gramps, I'll make sure the king gets it." Link said as he prepared to walk out of the room the smith called out once more. "Now Link, I know you and Zelda are friends, but she is STILL The Princess of Hyrule. Be careful not to let anything happen to her." Link rolled his eyes some at the lecture. "Yeah Gramps, I get it. No worries, she'll be fine." he assured the old man as he and Zelda walked out of the room and soon out the front door.

Link shut the door behind him with a sigh. "Thanks Zelda... if it wasn't for you, I would probably have missed this years festival...-" Zelda quickly interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, lets go already..." she said as she took Links hand an began to run down the path. Without another word, the two Elvin teens raced through the dusty dirt road into Hyrule Castle Town.

Once reaching the castle, Zelda quickly let go of Links hand and Raced into town to an area set aside for vendors. Quickly, Link ran to her side to find himself in front of an old man that looked to be even older than the master smith himself. There was a few other people crowded around the man, but payed full attention to what the man was saying. Zelda exclaimed in a slightly hushed voice. "Look Link! There's a story teller here, we should stop and listen to--" her attention quickly shifted to another vender. "Oh! whats that over there?" Link rolled his eyes some and with a sigh, chased after the princess who was acting more like a common teenager than a princess.

After a struggle, link managed to catch up to the princess. He opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly interrupted her. "So the Picori ARE real! My father always told me they were...- Ooh! Look at that!" she exclaimed as she once more darted off without him."Z-Zelda!" Link called as he once more chased after her. As he approacher her, she once again interrupted. "Say, wasn't there supposed to be a Sword-Fighting tournament at the castle? I wonder who won this year... Oh, wow! Over here!" As per the pattern, she darted off toward yet another vender.

Just as he approached the vender who appeared to be a large, middle-aged woman with blonde hair. As Link approached, the woman grabbed the bell next to her and shook it violently. The Very sound startled him for a moment. The woman then shouted at the top of her lungs. "We have a winner!" This shocked both Link and the princess. "Congratulations on winning the Grand Prize in our drawing Princess Zelda. You get your choice on one of these three wonderful prizes. What will it be?"

Upon addressing the princess, the woman turned around and pulled a large, red stone from her bag. "First we have this lovely, heart-shaped stone! Next, we have..." she said, digging in the bag once more. "This magnificent gem!" The woman said, placing a large Rupee out on the counter. _"As if she doesn't have enough of those." _link thought to himself. "And Finally..." the woman spoke once more reaching into her bag. "We have this teeny-tiny shield. So, whats it gonna be princess?" The woman asked once more. Zelda stared at the items intently. The woman giggled some. "Let me guess, the Jewel? Although this heart stone is very cute,too. Chose whichever one you like. Take your time." Link said nothing but could not help but stare at the craftsmanship of the shield. Zelda could see the boy's stare, which helped her decide immediately. "The shield is adorable! I think I'll take it." The woman stared at Zelda with a puzzled look. "What? why would you want that ugly old thing? What about the heart stone! It's cute! Or... or this giant gem! it's pretty! Honestly, they're both much nicer than that nasty little shield thing." The princess simply shook her head. "Nope! I want the shield. Can i have it?" the woman looked even more puzzled at the request. "What a strange princess you are..." she mumbled. "Well... OK. Here's your teeny-tiny shield." Zelda took the shield from off of the counter as the woman began to pack the other two items back away.

The Princess then turned to Link, holding the shield behind her back, as if he had not been standing there the entire time. "Here, i want to give you something... it's a present." she then took the wooden shield from behind her back and presented it before him. "Don't you think this shield suits you perfectly?" Link shrugged and took the shield from her hands and examined it by holding it above his head and looking at the very craftsmanship. "If you say so Zelda." As tiny as it was, it kind of embarrassing to wield it around like it was something to be proud of. But, it was the thought that counted, he thought. And as such, he armed himself with it and showed off a few blocking techniques in front of the princess to show his gratitude.

The princess clapped in amusement and let out a small giggle. "Yep! Just as i thought! you look great! Now, if anything happens, you will have that shield to help protect me, so Master Smith won't have anything to worry about." Link nodded and began to stretch out some. Chasing after the princess seemed to be quite the task. Soon, a quick gasp escaped the princesses lips, alerting Link. "Oh! I almost forgot! we have to take that sword to the castle." Links eyes grew wide. He knew there would be another long lecture waiting for him if Master Smith found out that he had made a late delivery. Without another word, the two ran to the castle courtyard.

As they neared the courtyard a wild Deku Scrub ran in front of the passage, and shot a Deku Nut at the princess. The large nut whizzed passed the princesses head. "UGH! It's that scrub i heard the guards talking about." Zelda scowled, stamping her foot on the stone path. "He's been terrorizing everyone around here. You think you could take care of it for me?" she asked, switching to a sweet innocent tone. Before he had a chance to respond, the scrub shot another nut at the princess. Out of instinct, Link rolled in to the path of the shot and raised his new shield in front of him. the shot quickly deflected off of the shield and shattered as it hit the scrub between its large yellow eyes. It quickly stood from its flower and bowed before the two. "Please! Forgive me, sir! I heard there was a festival, and i came to town hoping to hawk my wares. Unfortunately, we scrubs have a tendency to spit nuts when we speak! Everyone got scared and ran away, and no one would buy anything! This is a terrible place to do business, I'm going back to my cave." In an instant, the scrub grabbed his bags from inside his flower and flew away. Zelda frowned some. "I almost feel sorry for that scrub. But those Nuts hurt! Oh well, he won't be hassling anyone anymore, and we have to get to the castle!" Link agreed, and the two set off once more.

After entering the castle walls, the two approached the minister Potho. "Ah, Link. You brought the sword, thank you." the old man said. Everyone around the castle knew Link. After all, not only was he friend of the princess, but grandson of the Royal Blacksmith. The king treated him like family, and expected everyone else around the castle to do the same. Potho motioned for the two to move on inside. "Hurry, the award ceremony is about to begin." Zelda nodded to the old man and took a few steps forward before turning around. "I'm sorry Link, I'd better go. I have to go prepare for the ceremony. I had a great time at the festival." With only a moments hesitation, she ran forward

and bid him farewell with a warm embrace. "Thanks for coming with me." As the princess broke the embrace and ran off into the distance, Link's eyes followed close behind her until she was no longer in sight.

Potho adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat as to catch the boys attention. "Well Link since your here, why don't you join us for the award ceremony?" Link shrugged. "Sure, I mean, I don't think I don't think i ever got the chance to see it." a look of shock befell the minister. "No? Well my boy, then this should be quite the learning experience."

After a few more minutes of small talk, a group of four guards carried the large chest-like pedestal into the center of the courtyard. "Do you know about that sword, Link?" Potho asked. Link nodded hesitantly. "Isn't that the Picori Blade?" He asked. "Right, and it locks away much evil in that chest. The Picori Blade is sacred to the people of Hyrule. Legend has it the that, long ago, the Picori gave us this blade. Whoever wins the competition is given the honor of touching the sacred blade." Within a moment, The king and princess stepped out. This cued Potho to step forward. "Let the Award Ceremony commence! Vaati, champion of the competition, you may approach the blade!"

Upon the announcement, a pale man wearing dark clothes approached the group. Something about this man didn't feel right. Link stood on guard in case something should happen. A dark, devious smile soon played across Vaati's face. "To think things would go this well. The Picori Blade and the Bound Chest spoken of Hylian lore." he spoke. "This chest must hold what I seek! I will now relieve you of it's contents."

This quickly sent the guards into full alert. They raised their spears into a battle-ready position and charged forward. Vaati, with relative ease deflected the guards attack and sent them flying backwards with some unknown force, almost as if it were some kind of magic. "HA! Do not interfere with me... As Victor, i have earned the right to approach The Picori Blade. I have been waiting for this moment!" As he spoke he heald his hands above his head forming a large ball of energy between them. Quickly, he fired it at the chest. When it collided with the blade, the blade soon flew from the chest and landed on the ground next to it. This caused the chest to shake violently until it burst open. When it did so, countless evil spirits flew from the open chest and began to circle above it. Just after, a strange glow began to emit from the princess. She soon approached the dark man. "Who are you. Why are you doing this?!" Vaati stared for a moment. "The Princess with the Mystic Aura... The power that was gifted to the people of Hyrule still flows within the veins of the ladies of its royal family? Interesting..." Link did not like the way things were going, but could not help but stand back. Not only did he know Zelda would not approve of him interfering, but there seemed to be a strong force holding him in place.

Vaati took another moment to look over the princess before speaking. "If I leave you now, you'll only cause me trouble later. That will never do." he said with a scowl. Quickly, Vaati once more raised his arms up gathering a dark ball of energy in between his hands. With all of his strength Link forced himself free of the mystic force and stood in front of the princess to shield her from the blast. He was full prepared to take whatever this dark wizard was going to throw at him, as long as he knew he would be protecting The Princess Zelda from it. Vaati ignored the boys bravery. "To stone with you!" he shouted, whipping the ball at the two of them. Link drew his shield, in hopes that it could deflect the blast, just as it did the Deku Nut earlier that day. However the blast simply tossed the elfin boy aside and struck the princess. She let out a loud shriek as the blast surrounded her, quickly turning her a pale grey color.

Link fought with his consciousness as he witnessed the very person he swore to protect, so long ago, turn to stone. As link slowly began to black out, he could hear the threatening words of Vaati. "Heh heh heh... All who stand in my way shall share this fate! Now, to find out what power awaits me in this chest!" Link rolled to his side, to see what Vaati was going to do. The pale wizard in dark clothes approached the chest. At first Vaati was puzzled as he looked inside. "What? Empty? There was nothing in there but a rabble of monsters?" he thought aloud. Within that moment, Vaati became angry. "What is the meaning of this?! Fine... I know the force I'm after is somewhere out there." as he continued to speak his words began to sound more calm and focused. "I'm in no hurry. I can take my time searching for it." He chuckled deviously at his own thoughts for a moment. Just as quickly as he had appeared Vaati vanished. With no strength left, Link blacked out.


	3. The Adventure

b Chapter 2: The Adventure b

As Link blacked out, he began to dream of his past. It was many years ago when Master Smith became the royal black smith, and when Link and Zelda first became friends. On that day, while Master Smith and the king of Hyrule discussed some important matters, the princess and Link were told to play in the courtyard until the adults were finished with their business. The two children had already met once before when the Master Smith first came to Hyrule Castle on business. The two children could be found playing about in the courtyard when finally Zelda spoke. "Link, lets go on an adventure." Link thought for a moment. "Uhm... OK! But... where are we going to go?" The young princess puzzled for a moment. "I know, lets go to the castle forest. There's some pretty flowers in there. Daddy says i can't go there without a grown up, but I'm sure he won't mind if you go with me instead." Link nodded. "Okay then, lets go. I can protect you from any monsters. I'm not scared of anything." He boasted as he drew a small wooden sword that he always kept at his side.

The two marched forward, with Link in the lead, into the thick forest just outside the castle walls. The two laughed and joked about on there make believe adventure through the deep forest. Link fought off a few Deku Babba's and one or two Skultulas before the two reached a clearing with a large tree in the center surrounded by beautiful white and yellow flowers. When they entered the area link sat in the field of flowers. "Wow... that sure was a long walk huh?" he said to Zelda. The princess nodded in agreement. "Uh-huh, but these flowers are pretty and that tree has lots of apples that taste really good." Link allowed his head to flop back and glance at the large tree. Sure enough, hanging from the branches were bright red apples just ripe for the picking.

Zelda walked passed Link and to the tree. She attempted to pull down one of the branches to grab a piece of fruit. Just then, there was a loud hissing noise, and a Big Skultula dropped from the tree, hanging from a thick web. The large spider spun around once knocking down the princess. She let out a shriek as she fell to the ground. Link quickly jumped to his feet. He hadn't fought such a big creature before, Master smith had always done that. However, this would not stop him. He drew his wooden sword and charged at the large spider-like creature. With another spin, it knocked Link down just as easily as it had Zelda. However, the boy stood back up, dusted himself off, and picked up his wooden sword off of the ground. The creature hissed at Link as it readied for another looking around for a moment, Link kicked his foot up toward the spider, sending a combination of dirt, pollen, and grass into all eight of the creatures eyes. This caused it to hiss even louder and turn around. Link had seen his grandfather kill a few of these before, so he knew that he needed to attack the unprotected underside. With a few quick slashes and jabs, the giant spider fell from its web and curled up before it broke apart and vanished.

Link helped the princess to her feet. She blinked a few times before speaking. "You saved me from the scary spider." Link put away his sword and nodded. "Yup. Gramps taught me how to beat those things. So from now on, I'll protect you from everything forever. No matter what." A wave of excitement befell the princess "Really?" Link nodded proudly. "Uh-huh, Forever. That's a promise." Zelda leaned over and kissed the boy on his cheek. "Thank you, Link. I won't forget, not ever." she promised. As the princess turned to pick some of the flowers, Links cheeks began to flush with embarrassment. He had always heard the stories about when the warrior saves the princess, he gets a kiss as a reward. But he never really thought it would happen. Only in the stories.

Soon, Zelda had finished picking some flowers, and stuck a few in her hair. "Common Link, we should go back to the castle now." Link nodded in agreement. "O-okay then." and with that, the two children left the field of flowers in the clearing, and made they're way back to the castle.

As the dream faded, Links conciousnes slowly began to return. He tossed and turned for a few moments before opening his eyes. He blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings. He was not where he had passed out in the courtyard. Now he was inside, in a room, laying in bed he didn't recognize.


	4. Save the Princess

b Chapter 3: Save The Princess b

With a few groans, link pushed forward the blankets and sat up. This drew attention to a woman dressed like a castle chambermaid. "Thank goodness your awake!" She exclaimed. "Your grandfather, that is, the Master Smith is here as well. He's come here to see His Majesty the king. You should see him." Link nodded. "Uhm... Ok. But uh... where am I?" he asked. "Oh! Why your in the castle. The throne room is just down the hall." Link scratched his head hesitantly "O...k... then..." still confused he politely bowed to the chambermaid and stepped out of the room.

He soon found himself in a long, decorative hallway covered in beautiful blue carpeting and various decorative suits of armor. At the far end of the corridor Link could see a large set of double doors accented with0 gold trimming. On either of the doors there was a guard in full plate armor, armed with swords and spears. One could only assume that this was the throne room. As Link stepped into the room light shined through the stained glass windows. He could see the carpeting was just the same as the corridor before. There were guards dressed in heavy chain mail and metal plated armor on either side of the door. The guards were armed with sharp spears and each had a sword at there side. Even still Link did not feel threatened as they stood at attention, hardly even seeming alive.

At the far end of the room, an old man sat on a large throne. The man wore expensive robes and jewelry. He had shoulder length grey hair and a grey beard to match. A pair of guards stood at attention on either side of the throne as well. Link knew this man was no ordinary noble. This was The King of Hyrule. Also near the kings side was Potho. On the opposite side appeared to be a rather accurate stone carving of the Princess Zelda.

Near the king stood Links grandfather, the Master Smith. He quickly rushed to the small blonde boy. "Oh Link! Your awake!" He said as he hugged his grandson warmly. "Are you feeling alright?" Link, slightly embarrassed at his grandfather in the presence of the king, nodded. "Yeah, im alright Gramps. I think i just bumped my head a little." he said, rubbing the back of his head. The smith placed an arm around the boy and guided him a few steps back and faced the king. "Good. Now stand here with me, the king is about to make an announcement."

Moments later, The King stood from his throne and raised his hands, demanding attention from the room. "Attention Everyone! I'm afraid it is as have all heard. A sorcerer named Vaati has cursed my fair Zelda and turned her to stone." Link was shocked to hear the news. That statue was actually a fully petrified Zelda.

"If we had the sacred Picori Blade, we likely could have broken the curse. But Vaati shattered the blade... However, I have not given up hope. What do you know about the Picori?" The smith, seeming interested in the subject, spoke up. "The Picori? Not much, beyond what the fairy tales say... There supposed to be very tiny, if im remembering correctly." The King nodded. "Yes, the ones from the fairy tales... But the Picori are no more legend. They most certainly exist. No one outside the royal family knows the truth about them. The Picori, who forged the sacred blade, live deep within the Minish should be able to repair the broken blade and reforge the sword."

Quickly, the Potho snapped out of a trance-like state. Clearly, this was news to even Potho, who was trusted with the most classified of information. He, almost instantly faced the king and spoke. "Wh-what!? Then we must dispatch the soldiers there at once!" The king raised his hand in order to silence the old man. "No, soldiers will not do. The Picori do not show themselves to anyone but children. Our soldiers could search for days and still find no sign of them." He said, changing his glance toward Link. "I see..." the Master Smith joined in, catching the kings glance. "If thats the case, then please allow Link to go." The king nodded. "With your permission, if Link has recovered, i would like to ask this of him. Please, turn my precious Zelda back to Picori should know how to create a new sacred sword. It will be a dangerous journey, now that those monsters have been freed. Please, take this sword with you, along with the broken Picori Blade."

With a wave of his hand, a guard brought fourth a long, slender box decorated in gold trimming. The guard lifted open the lid to reveal the broken hilt of the sword and all the pieces of the shattered blade. He then closed the box and handed it to the boy. Another guard stepped fourth, handing Link the Smith's Sword that he had earlier delivered to the castle, and some travel gear for the long journey. Link took the gifts and knelt before the king. "I will humbly except this quest." The king smiled at the young man. "Very well, then." The King then turned to a guard. "You, find the general and tell him to send the soldiers to search for Vaati at once!" The guard nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty!" he replied before marching through the large doors.

Link stood to his feet, armed himself with the equipment, and placed the sword box in his travel pack. The king once more spoke up. "Deep within the Minish Woods, you will find a place called Deepwood Shrine. Once, human and Picori shared shrine as a meeting place. I think it would be best if you started your search there." Link nodded "Thank you, your majesty. I promise Ill find the Picori,and save Zelda, i promise." he said, taking one final look at the his petrified friend. With that the Master Smith turned to his Grandson. "Here, take this map with you. If you get lost on your way to the forest, simply check your map. You'll notice that i marked the location of the forest for you." he held out a rolled up map. Link took it in his hand, and before letting go, the smith took a moment to gather himself. "Good luck, and be careful boy. Only you can break Vaati's curse and free Princess Zelda. Hyrule is counting on you, and so is Zelda"


	5. The Journey Begins

Chapter 4: The Journey Begins

Link exited the castle without any distractions and headed south. After passing through the courtyard,and over the drawbridge, Link could see the chaos that Vaati had unleashed. Many parts of the castle grounds were destroyed. Tree's had fallen, and even some parts of the stone walls had been destroyed. Moments later a sound could be heard from behind one of the broken trees. Curious, Link stepped forward and soon came face-to-face with a Octoroc. The seemingly angry Octoroc shot a large rock from it's mouth, hitting him in the stomach. Now alert, and slightly irritated,Link drew his sword and shield. He stepped forward in order to reach the beast, but was once again, shot with a rock before he could reach. Link groaned before standing to his feet again. "Okay, that REALLY hurts!" he shouted before charging the monster in his fit of rage. When he drew close enough to the Octoroc, it fired yet another rock at him. This time, he was ready. He quickly raised his shield, blocking the attack. The rock simply shattered upon hitting the hard shield. The attack did not stop the boys assault as he reached striking distance and lowered his shield, following through with a horizontal slash. "HA!" he shouted as the sharp blade cut through the beasts rock-like skin. A bit of orange blood spattered as the creature fell to the ground and dissinigrated. Link stood triumphantly over his fallen opponent and placed his sword back in it's sheathe his sword.

"Okay... lets see..." he mumbled hesitantly to himself as he pulled out and unrolled the map his grandfather gave him. "Wow... this is all of Hyrule. So... if i go all the way to south Hyrule and then head east, i should make it to the forest without any trouble. Sounds easy enough." he said, rolling back up the map, and placing it in his bag. After traveling for about a mile, Link reached the entrance to the Castle Town. However, there was a large mound of boulders and other dibriese blocking the entrance. It was there he was greeted by a bald old man with a grey mustache. For his age, he looked to be in great shape, as he looked like he could rip apart a Dodango with his bare hands. He seemed to be barking orders to a group of construction workers as they began working on the damages. The tall, buff man towered over Link, looking down at him while speaking. "Hey kid, I'm head carpenter 'round these parts. Mutoh's the name. I dont think i remember seeing you around." The old man said in a crusty voice. Link shook his head. "No, im not a carpenter. I'm Link, and i need to get through to town." The old man let out a loud, crusty laugh. "Look here kid, the King of Hyrule himself has entrusted me with this project. See, that sorcerer's attack tore things up pretty bad around here. Ain't no one gettin' through this way or the east entrance. and the bridge to the west is out. If you wanna go to town, your going to have to cut through Lon Lon Ranch and around to the South Entrance." Link groaned. "Isn't there any way i can get through? Link said, tapping his rupy bag." The old man snorted. "Look Kid, I'm tellin ya, if you want through to town, either go around, or wait until construction is finished. And you shouldn't be playing near the construction zone so scram would ya?" Annoyed at the crusty old man, link stormed off down the east path.

After about a half hour of travel, and several other battles, Link arrived at Lon Lon Ranch. It was here where he dropped his pack and rested against a fence. He reached into his back and drank from his water bottle. After finishing his water he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It figures, on today of all days, it has to be blistering hot." he complained to himself. His complaining was interrupted by the loud moo of a cow, grazing in the pasture behind him. "Hey! I bet some Lon Lon Milk would hit the spot." Link stood to his feet and approached the door to the ranch owners house. He attempted to open the door but it didn't budge. "Hmm... Must be locked." He knocked on the wooden door. "Hello?" silence. "Well... i guess so much for that idea." Once more he took a moment to think. "Maybe there in the barn." he thought aloud.

Without another moments hesitation, The young man dressed in the green tunic ran around to the back of the large farm house. Behind it was fields and farmland as far as the eye could see. however, within a fenced in area was the cow pasture, and the barn. Link carefully hopped the fence and made his way into the barn. "H-hello...? Anyone here?" after a few moments his calls were only responded with the moo's of a few cows. However, it quickly came to links attention that the back door was open with a cart backed in. Upon his investigation, he noticed there were some bottles of milk loaded. "Hello?!" he called once more. No response. After some careful thought, Link grabbed one of the bottles off the cart. However, stealing wasn't in his nature. as a result, he rummaged through his wallet and plucked out a Purple Rupee. "I hope this is enough..." he said to himself as he placed it where the bottle once was.

After drinking half the milk in the bottle. he re-placed the cork and put the bottle in his pouch and continued East. "Ok... Minish Woods.... Minish Woods...." he mumbled to himself as he wandered down the path, looking around. Quickly his intense search was interrupted when he slammed into a large wooden pole sticking out of the ground. "That... was stupid." Link groaned. After dusting the dirt off his face, and making sure he didn't break anything, he glanced up at the large pole he collided with. "Minish Woods." He read aloud. Link looked at the path the sign pointed to. In the distance there was nothing but lush, thick forest shrouded in darkness. "Well... this looks promising." he sighed. "C'mon link... Focus. Zelda's a garden decoration and your the only one that can save her. Time to get some courage, man up, and venture fourth." he said, standing up straight and marching forward down the path overrun with vines and small plants.


	6. Ezlo the ?

Chapter 5: Ezlo the... ?

As he reached the entrance to the woods, Link came to a stop as a result of his path being blocked by thick vines and lush bushes. It was clear to him that this area had not been visited in quite some time. "Its like the Goddesses are trying to tell me something." he said, narrowing his eyes at the blockade. He let out a deep a sigh "For Zelda... for Zelda..." He chanted as he drew his new blade from its scabbard. "HYA!" he called as he began to violently chop through the thick vegetation. finally, after cutting himself a clear path, link readied his shield and calmly walked into the thick forest. almost instantly, a small rock came hurling at link. Luckily, it missed its target, and collided with his shield and burst into pieces. This was more than enough to catch Links attention. about 6 feet ahead of him an Octorok stood, ready to attack again. "Man, these things are everywhere." Quickly, the creature fired yet another shot. once more it shattered against his shield. Immediately, link dropped his guard and lunged forward, vertically slicing the enemy in half. immediately, the two halves turned black as charcoal and crumbled into dust, blowing away in the wind. "Ok... that wasn't so hard." he said marching fourth.

As he continued on his through, he found a few strange oddities. the one that stood out the most being what looked almost like a temple or shrine, but the entrance only big enough for something the size of a bug. While examining this structure, he heard a cry for help in the distance. "Hellllp!!! Help meeee!!!" the voice called. Link quickly headed toward the sound of the voice. "Ouch! Won't somebody stop them!?" It was close. He could hear the voice, but still could not see the person shouting. "Ow! Ow! Help... Somebody! Can't anybody hear me?" Link continued to chase the voice. passed a few trees, across a small stream, around the corner, and through the tall grass, finally, he arrived at the scene. It was a... well... He really wasn't sure what it was. it looked like some form of cross between a Green Chu, a night cap, and a bird. However, unlike any of those, it spoke. rather clearly as it was cornered, two Octorok's on either side of it, spitting rocks at it. "Hey! kid!" it shouted. "You there!" "Kid?" Link thought. "Is he talkin to me? is this for real? ...maybe i shouldn't have drank that Lon Lon Milk."

His thoughts were interrupted when one of the Octorok's hit the strange... chu-bird-hat-thing. "Ouch!" he cried. seemingly annoyed, the creature stared Link in the eye before throwing a tantrum. "Hey! Don't just stand there! Do something!!!". Link continued to stare, now slightly fascinated. The other Octorok shot the creature also. At this the creatures aggravation grew, as did his tantrum. "What's wrong with you!? Do you like watching me take this abuse!?" Link, once again, chose not to respond. "Help me!" it cried once more. It shouted once more before calming down and collapsing to the ground. The Octorok's, seeing they had broke there toy, changed there focus to link. One of them spitting a rock, which he quickly blocked with his shield. "Oh no you didn't!" Link said, now sounding annoyed as well. Immediately he charged at the creature. He slashed horizontally at the first Octorok, but the slice was too shallow. The blow didn't kill the monster but sent it flying a couple feet back. The other quickly reminded Link of its existence when it shot Link in the back with a rock. He grimaced at the pain, but exhaled slowly in order to calm his mind. He closed his eyes and listened carefully to his surroundings. he could hear the footsteps of both creatures as they charged toward him. The first one shot another rock at Link. He immediately raised his shield, blocked the shot and stabbed the second between its eyes as it attempted to sneak up on him, using the first as a distraction. Instantly after killing the second Octorok, he turned and chopped through the first. Both disintegrated just as the one before had.

Seeing he had taken care of both creatures that actually posed a threat, Link sheathed his blade and approached the one that had yet to be identified. "Are you uh... alright?" he asked, still slightly confused. "Phew! Yes, Well done! That was close. Not that I couldn't handle them myself." Link blinked in confusion. "Couldn't have- say wha-?!" "-BUT that's besides the point! What in the world is a lone child doing so deep in the woods?" It asked. "Well... for starters, im not just a kid OK? I can take care of myself." He responded, sounding annoyed. "Ho ho! I see." it said with a chuckle. "Anyway, im on a quest. I have to find the Picori. Some guy named Vaati broke the Picori Sword, freed the evil from the bound chest, AND cursed my Zelda. Er... Zelda... my prin-THE Princess... of Hyrule." he explained stumbling over his word. "So, i have to find the Picori, have them fix the sword, go back to Hyrule castle, beat Vaati, save Zelda, and bound the chest again. ...and im pretty much the only one that can do it." The creature listened intently. "The...Picori, you say? And Vaati?" Link nodded. Quickly, the creature became lively again. "Vaati's cursed someone? What? The sacred blade?!?!" Link nodded once more. "Yeah... what a day." the creature calmed itself for a moment, as if to think. "Is that so? I see, I see... You know, you and I have quite a lot in common." Link blinked in confusion once more. "Uhm... i don't mean to be rude but... how do you figure?" The creature laughed a bit. "You see, I, too am on a quest to break a curse of Vaati's." Link cocked his head to the side. This thing was only getting MORE confusing as time went on. "And you say that re-forging the sacred blade can break his curse, eh?" Link nodded. "Thats my understanding. As long as it saves Zelda, i'll do whatever it takes to find these Picori guys." "Well, then you have found yourself a companion, my boy! My name is Ezlo." Link nodded and bowed politely. "My names Link." he said, introducing himself. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Link." "Uh... same to ya. So... i guess if your coming with me... i suppose we should get going... eh?" The creature gave a stern nod. "Yes, lets."

With a shrug, Link marched on. He had moved less than 5 feet before Ezlo squawked behind him. "Wait! Wait, i say!" Link was quickly alerted. "What is it?" He didn't sense any danger, but maybe this thing could feel something he couldn't. "You walk so quickly! Too quickly, in fact! cant you go any slower? surely you've notice that i have no legs..." Link scratched his head. "Oh... right. Uhm... sorry about that. "Boy!" Ezlo squawked once more. "Take a good look at me! Do you really think i can walk that fast!?" he complained. "Look, im trying to go slow. But i wanna get through this forest before i turn 50." he said, once again walking forward. "Augh!" Ezlo grunted. "If it isn't one thing, it's another! You are a troublesome boy!" Link narrowed his eyes, slightly frustrated. "Hey, your the one who-" His words were immediately interrupted when Ezlo leaped at the boy, landing on the top of his head. Link looked up blinking. "What are you doing?" he asked. Ezlo adjusted himself for a moment. "There! Now, you can't possibly leave me behind." Still slightly confused, Link thought for a moment as to how to respond. However before he came to a decision, Ezlo spoke once more. "My... It's quite comfortable up here. More comfortable than it looks, surely." he said, making himself comfortable. "Uh... thanks i guess." Link said hesitantly. "And much easier on me!" he said with a chuckle. "Uhm sure but couldja just... no no... a little to the right..." he said as he attempted to adjust Ezlo on his head. "Hey! Quit your squirming!" Link growled "Quit my sq-... Look man, its my head!" the creature ignored his comment. "Can't you sit still?" Link adjusted Ezlo a bit more, with Ezlo squawking at him in return. This process continued for a good 10 minutes before they finally came to an agreement. "See! There... Yes, yes! That's it. Much better." Ezlo said proudly. Link was still slightly annoyed at the whole situation but chose to put up with it. "Im glad your comfortable." Link said sarcastically. "Now,-" Ezlo started "-I suppose a boy like you still has much to learn about this world. If ever you need my insight, simply ask. I'll be happy to help!" Link raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... thanks... i guess." Ezlo let out a sigh. "Such a hopeless Child." Link simply rolled his eyes at the comment and ventured fourth. It was going to be a long journey, this much was for certain.

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Authors note: What do you think so far? something different you'd like to see? Let me know on my new forum: .net/topic/74293/25217072/1/#

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	7. Going Minish

Chapter 6: Going Minish

After another 10 minutes of Travel, He approached a strange stump. Although it was still nothing but a simple tree stump, Link felt compelled to examine it. "Hold on my boy!" Ezlo shouted. "We've stumbled across something important!" Link rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Yeah, I get it. It's only a stump." Ezlo shook his head violently. "I'm not playing games here, boy. We don't have time for that. Now listen! The world of the Minish is very small. Your far too big to meet them now."

Link hesitated for a moment. "Minish? Never heard of em'. Who are they?" Ezlo gave a confused stare. "Eh? Who are the Minish? Ah yes! silly me! Allow me to explain..." Ezlo sighed and took a moment, and sighed again. "You Humans call them 'Picori,' but they refer to themselves as 'The Minish'! Understand?" Link nodded. "Sure, makes sense." he responded. "Although it's weird that the only thing I've ever heard be called 'Minish' was the woods." Ezlo pondered for a moment./ "I suppose it IS strange that, in the world of humans, only the forest has kept that name..."

Quickly, he snapped out of his deep train of thought. "Anyhow, deep in the forest they built a tiny village, where many now live. BUT, if we're going to enter the village, we'll have to make you a tad smaller." Link pondered for a moment. "Well, that's all well and good, but how are we going to do that?" "Simple my boy." Ezlo mused. "Look at that. At first glance, it appears to be a mere stump, yes?" Links eyes narrowed. "AGAIN with the stump?" his tone was harsh. He was clearly annoyed. "Just listen!" The hat commanded. "That stump is a portal used by people long ago to adjust their size!" "...your kidding?" Ezlo shook his small head. "No. With my help, you can shrink down to Minish size. Just stand on the stump and I'll do the rest. Whenever you're ready to change back, come back here and let me know." Link shrugged. "Alrighty, lets give it a shot." At that, he hopped onto the stump. It took a moment, while Ezlo did a strange sort of dance atop the boys head, chanting words he could not understand. Before long, Link got a strange feeling. As he looked at the world around him, it seemed to all get larger. "Woa!" Link shouted as he he fell into the now canyon sized crack in the stump.

"Where in Hyrule am I? I swear, we were just in the woods" Ezlo made a face that resembled a frown. "I Just told you i was going to have to shrink you down to Minish size, didn't I?" Link shrugged. "I honestly had my doubts." the boy said smugly. The Hat-like creature shook violently. "Why of all the-! ... Nevermind... Look, the exit is that little doorway over there." "Alright, well lets get moving then." Link siad, sliding down the stem of a mushroom as tall as a tree. The two exited the large, hollow stump and the bright blinding sun covered them. Link let out a low whistle. "Wow... I gotta say, I'm impressed." Ezlo straitened himself atop links head and announced. "Welcome to the world through the eyes of a Minish!" As link looked around, Ezlo slouched over so Link met eyes with him "Now, Aren't you glad you saved me? No need to thank me, though!" he said before leaning back to his normal position. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I guess this makes us even. Can we get going to see the minish now?"

"Patience boy!" Ezlo commanded. "First, there are a few things you need to know." Link sighed impatiently. "Alright, like... what?" Ezlo cleared his throat "Well, for starters: Portals that reduce your size are located all around, in different shapes and sizes. I will tell you when you find one. If you should want to return to your normal size, just let me know. But you must understand, being Minish-sized has many dangers! What is a mere puddle to you, is a bottomless swamp to the Minish people. And as your companion, Anything bad that happens to you, happens to me by extention. So, don't go and do anything stupid. If not for you sake, then for my own." "Right, anything else?" Link asked, seeming slightly annoyed. "No, that is all, lets get going." With a nod, Link marched on once more.

Before Long, the two reached a fork in the road. "Uhm, which way?" Link asked. "Hm..." Ezlo hesitated. "Strait on ahead my boy!" he announced. "Gotcha, moving on." Link said, walking forward. "You know, It's amazing seeing some of this stuff when its so huge." Link said, attempting to make conversation. "Like that Acorn there!" he pointed "That used to be smaller than my toe, now its almost as big as I am." Ezlo chuckled some. "My boy, your like a new-born baby, seeing the world for the first time." the creature teased. "Hey! don't make fun of me. Im not the one who looks like a-" Links comment was quickly interrupted by the sound of loud crashing, followed by the ground rumbling violently beneath his feat. "What in the-?" Link gasped as he came face to face with an Octorok. But this Octorok was like none that link had ever seen before. It stood more than ten times his size. "H-Hey Ezlo... you don't suppose this guy is upset about what i did to his buddies earlier do ya?" Ezlo cowered "No, but im sure to an Octorok, we look like a juicy bug, just right for the eating." Link took a few steps back, and placed a hand on his sword. Ezlo shook violently "Don't just stand there boy, RUN!" he shouted. Link nodded "R-Right!" Link quickly turned on his heel and made a mad dash down the pathway, The Octorok not far behind, still chasing them. "Quickly, in there!" Ezlo shouted. Just ahead of them was an old partially hollowed out tree branch. Link hastily took shelter inside the branch. Before long, the Octorok reached the branch but was too atleast twice the size of the hole. It tried several times to force its way through, but to no avail. Eventually, it gave up, and walked away. After the Octorok was out of sight, Link started to walk out from the shelter. "Link, Wait!" Link froze in his tracks, cautiously looking for more danger. "What is it?" He asked in a whisper. "It's this way." Ezlo responded, tugging toward the inside of the shelter. "Oh... right." He said calmly as he turned around and walked on.

Soon, the two approached a large lake. "Alright, now where to?" Link asked curiously. "We go across." Ezlo said, motioning to the path on the other side of the lake. "I cant swim that far." Link admitted sheepishly. Ezlo was silent for a moment. "Not a problem my boy, i have a plan." he announced "See that huge leaf over there? Grab it and bring it up to shore." Link nodded and did what he was told, dragging the thick, heavy leaf by the water. "Ok, now drag it into the water and sit on it, like you would a boat." Ezlo commanded once more. Link hesitated. "are you sure it will hold my weight?" Ezlo laughed and nodded. "Im sure. Quickly now." With a shrug, link drug the leaf into the water, and scrambled onto it once he could no longer touch the ground. To his surprise, it worked exactly as Ezlo said. "Right, now your going to have to cup your hands and use them as Oars." Link groaned some "Just until we find the minish, then i can go home." the boy gurmbled to hismelf as he began to propel the make-shift boat forward.


	8. Minish Village

Chapter 7: Minish Village

After crossing the lake and even more walking, they approached what seemed to be a village. However, Link found it strange that such a small village could exist. Ezlo took a curious glance around for a few moments. "Hmm... It appears we have found the Minish Village." Link also took a few glances around. "That explains alot." he said before quickly being alerted to the ruffling sound of leaves. Instinctively, Link drew his shield and placed a hand on his sword. Within an instant he was surrounded by small creatures dressed in clothes made of small leaves and vines. One babbled in some strange language. Another responded, and before long, three or four had joined in. Link was unsure as to weather the creatures were addressing him or each other. Then, as quickly as they appeared, every one of the creatures scattered.

Ezlo laughed to himself. "I Gather it's been quite some time since they last saw a human." Link was puzzled. "Uhm... just what were those, and what were they talking about?" Ezlo cocked his bird-like head to the side. "What? You didn't understand what they were saying just now?" "If I understood there language, I wouldn't have asked you" Link, sounded annoyed at his question being answered with a question, and a stupid one at that. Ezlo paused "Fair enough. That was the language of the Minish." Links jaw dropped some. "Y-You mean those guys are the Minish?" he responded with his own stupid question. "I almost killed them!" he shouted. "It's a little different from the dialect that im most familiar with." Ezlo said, Ignoring Link's tantrum. "I'm afraid I didn't quite catch most of what they said myself. But perhaps there is someone here who understands your language. We should look around." Link gave an annoyed glare to Ezlo. "You piss me off sometimes." The hero said with a growl. "Yeah, yeah." Ezlo responded, dismissing his remark. "C'mon, lets look around and see if someone can help you."

With a snort, Link began looking around to see if any of the minish could speak Hylian. Before long, Link approached a Minish standing outside of what appeared to be an old discarded shoe, converted into a house. "Uhm excuse me?" The minish person cocked its head to the side and babbled something that he could only assume was the Minish language. "Right... do you speak Hylian? or know someone that does?" once more, the creature began to babble. "R-right... thanks anyway." He said, walking away. "I can tell this is going to be a lot harder than i thought." he grumbled.

After speaking with several other Minish and getting essentially the same thing out of them, the pair stumbled across a building much larger and fancier than any other minish house. "I wonder if this is like... a store or something. I sure could use some Milk... or... something." he said as he stumbled in. "I have never seen an outfit like that before." a voice from the back called out. "Look buddy, from where i come from, people dress like this all the ti-... Wait... did you just say something?" He asked, pondering if the adventure so far had caused him to hallucinate. "Are you a... Human?" the voice responded. "Uh, YEAH!" Link said, as he exited scrambled toward the minish wearing robes, and what appeared to be glasses. "Oh, my! It has been quite some time since any humans came here." the minish responded, adjusting his glasses. "Right... my name's Link. I came here from the Kingdom of Hyrule on an important mission." The minish nodded and bowed politely. "Pleased to meet you Link. My name is Festari. I watch the abbey, as well as the shrine to the north. You... seem to be having some trouble with our language, don't you?" he asked. "Uh... Yeah... and like... no one speaks Hylian." The minish once again adjusted his glasses. "You could use a Jabber Nut." "A what-what?" Link asked, confused. "A Jabber Nut; It will allow you to understand our tongue." he explained. "Oh! Right... do you know where i can find one?" He asked. "You should be able to find one in the barrel house just south from here." he said, gesturing behind Link. "Barrel house to the south. Thanks a lot." he said with a bow before turning on his heel and running out of the building.

It didn't take long, for Link to find the barrel house that he was looking for. He entered the empty house, which seemed to be more of an indoor garden. Toward the back, link could see a small bush growing, with strange looking nuts on them. As he walked toward the back he could see a few large crates in his way. After some examination, he found that they were probably empty, so he simply pushed one out of his way and approached the tree. He picked off the small nut and began to look it over. "This must be the Jabber Nut Festari told you about." "You sure?" Link asked. "Admittedly... no. But you may as well eat it if you plan on making any progress." Ezlo responed. The young hero glanced over the nut once more "Remember... anything for Zelda." He re-assured himself before popping the nut in his mouth. He chewed it for a few seconds before swallowing. "So...?" Ezlo asked, seeming rather excited. "Not bad... although it'd probably go better with some Lon Lon Milk." he critiqued. "Again with the milk?" Ezlo complained. "I mean, do you FEEL any different." Link paused for a moment. "Yeah... kinda thirsty." "THATS NOT WHAT I-... Oh never mind. You can understand there language right?" Link shrugged. "Apparently. I dunno, i haven't had the chance " he responded. "Well, what are you waiting for? Stop wasting time and find out about that sacred blade" Ezlo barked. "Oh, right. The sword." Link said, as he wandered out.

After exiting the barrel house, Link came face-to-face with another Minish. "So, You've eaten a Jabber Nut and now can understand our language?" Link nodded. "Apparently so, but to me it just seems like everyone is speaking Hylian now." The Minish smiled brightly. "The elder said that humans can no longer see us as they once could. It's amazing that you can see us." Link nodded. "Oh yeah, Gramp's said something about Adults not being able to see you anymore. Which reminds me..." Link trailed off as he dug through his bag and pulled out the case that held the sacred blade. "It's important that i have this fixed, and apparently you guys are the only ones who can." The Minish examined the weapon for a brief moment. "Sorry, looks like you'll have to talk to the elder about it." Link frowned, closed the case, and shoved it back in his bag. "Right... where's he at?" the minish pointed to the northwest area. "That way, BIG place. Can't miss it. I'd take you, but i have to check on the garden." Link nodded. "Thanks for your help." he said with a bow before headed in the direction the minish person pointed.

As link headed to the elders house, Ezlo drooped down again, meeting eyes with link. "You've never seen the minish before, have you?" Link shook his head. "Ah, well, they are mostly good folk. Yes... Mostly." Link was confused."What do you mean 'mostly'?" Ezlo leaped back to an upright position. "Oh, nevermind, lets just hurry and see the elder." Link was hesitant, but chose not to push it. "Whatever." he added before running toward the rest of the village again.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for the boy to find his destination. Before him, sitting on an old log was a large house with a ladder leading to the front porch. "This must be it." Link said confidently. Without any further delay, Link climbed the ladder and stepped inside. Once inside, link glared across the way of the one roomed house to see a minish with dry skin, a long whit beard, and large red hat. He appeared to be using a small sewing needle as a staff as well. "Are you the minish Elder?" He asked. The eyes of the elder grew wide. "Oh! You speak our language!" "Yeah, NOW." link muttered. "Forgive me, It's been quite a while since we've heard outsiders speak our tongue! We have little to offer in these woods, but please enjoy your stay." Before Link could say anything, Ezlo chimed in. "Thank you for your offer, but we have no time to relax. My name is Ezlo, and this child is Link. We need to break the devils curse that has been placed upon the princess of Hyrule. To do so, we need to re-forge the broken Piccori Blade." The elder nodded. "I see. And you have come here now hoping to have the blade re-forged?" the elder asked intently. "Can you do it?" Link asked. It didn't seem to be looking good. "Hmm... Well its not that easy. lf that's what your after, you are going to need four mystic elements. These are the crystalline forms of the energies of this world. Only by infusing the blade with these energies can a new blade be forged."

"Please Elder, can you tell me where the elements can be found?" Link pleaded, dropping to his knees before the elder. "I have to save the princess, I HAVE to rescue Zelda." The elder paused as the girls name rang through his mind. The boy that lay knelt before him, garbed in green, his blonde hair showing while the boys face was pressed to the ground. He had seen it before, Long, long ago. "Very well boy. Tell me, do you have a map?" Link quickly rose to his feet. "YES! YES i do." The elder nodded. "Bring it here." he commanded. Link did so without a moments hesitation. The elder took the scroll, and rolled it out on his desk. He grabbed a feather, and a small bottle of ink and made a few marks. "These are the locations of the four elements. The Earth Element can be found in the shrine to the north of Festari's abbey. Speak with him, he will show you the path to the shrine's entrance." Link nodded and swiped the scroll from the desk, and stuffed it bakc into his bag. As he was about to leave, the elder called out in a dry, raspy voice. "Go with caution. Evil creatures have lately made their home in our shrine. Return to me at once whenever you have found the Earth Element." Link nodded. "Right. Thank you Minish Elder!" he called, running out. The old Minish watched the boy leave with great haste, and was once again reminded of times ancient passed. "Go fourth" the elder whispered. "May the light force protect you."


	9. Deepwood Shrine

Chapter 8: Deepwood Shrine

Link returned to the abbey where Festari stood, still guarding the door. "Mr. Festari! I have the Elder's permission to enter the shrine." Link called, excitedly. Festari adjusted his spectacles once again, almost hesitant at the human boy's words. "I'm affraid I'm going to need proof." the Minish said. "But, i JUST came from his house. It's like, halfway across the village!" Festari sighed. "I'm sorry. If im going to let you in to the shrine, im going to need some kind of proof that you spoke to The Elder." defeated, Link groaned and turned to face the door. Just then, Ezlo shook violently."WAIT! Link, show him your map. The elder marked where the four elements are found on your map." "OH?" Festari asked. Link once more, turned on his heel and approached Festari. "Yeah, right here. See?" He said eagerly, showing Festari his map. "Yes... these are indeed the locations of the four elements. Very few people know this information. And this does appear to be the kings handwriting..." there was a pause as Festari studied the parchment. "Well?" Ezlo badgered. "...Fine. I'll let you in. But, be aware: Vile beasts have settled in recently. It's quite dangerous." he said, adjusting his glasses that had once again slid down his large nose. "Thanks, but i can take care of myself. " Link called as he ran passed the Minish guardian.

Link ran through the hallway, hearing nothing but the sound of his boots clicking against the concrete, and seeing nothing but the sunlight that beamed through the exit. Moments later, he found himself in a courtyard with many plants and flowers on either side. He took a deep breath, inhaling the smells of all the flowers. "Wow Ezlo. Sure is pretty out here." he said, admiring not only the courtyard, but the outer shrine walls. "Yes, yes. But there's no ti,me to enjoy the scenery boy. There's work to be done!" Link shook his head briefly. "Right, lets do this." he said walking down the cobblestone path, and through the doorway.

As they entered the first room of the shrine, look looked around. The Shrine wasn't what he expected. It was humid, dark, and musty. "So this would be the Deepwood Shrine the minish elder spoke of..." Ezlo trailed off, looking around. "Looks that way. I guess it's seen better days." Link chimed in. "He... said something about there being monsters inside, didn't he?" Ezlo asked shakily. "Yeah, not really lookin forward to that myself." Link said with a small gulp. "He-Hey now! No reason to be afraid or anything... I'll be waiting right here." Ezlo stuttered. "Fine, i guess." Link said, reaching to remove the talking hat. "No, Wait! What am I saying! I'm not letting you leave me alone out here!" Link chuckled a bit, as he took a few steps forward. "Don't be afraid Ezlo." Link mocked, impersonating Ezlo's voice. "I'm not AFRAID, boy." Ezlo snapped. "I just think it would be to both our benefit if we stuck together." "Uh-huh. Whatever you say" Link said, a thick sarcasm in his voice as they stepped foot through the first door.

Several rooms later, after many ordeals Link entered a room with walls covered in webbing. in the center there were more arranged in a strange pattern, almost like an incomplete maze. The boy took a few cautious steps forward, however, not cautious enough as a tile beneath his right foot shifted, and a light click of a button could be heard. "Look out boy! It's a-..." just then, the entrance door slammed shut. "-...Trap" Ezlo finished with a sigh. "Ah hell!" Link cursed before attempting to lift the large door. "It's... stuck..." he said in between grunts.

Just then, a large shadow cast over the door. "What the..." Link started as he turned to face a large Centipede-like creature. It let out a loud screach as it dove for the hero. He quickly rolled out of the way, and the creature slammed face-first into the large stone door. stunned, the creature layed on the ground, twitching a bit. Link then drew his sword and began to slash violently at the monster, hoping to kill it before it recovered. Even when putting all his might into each blow, the blade hardly scratched the monsters, thick armored, exo-skeleton. "Link! Look at the end of it's tail. That appears to be exposed from the armor." Link shrugged. "Worth a shot." the boy agree'd as he ran toward a red swollen mass at the end of the creatures tail. However, before Link could take a swing, the monster came to it's senses and pulled its tail away, just to bring it forward again, and whip Link across the room. Link gasped for air as his body slammed against a nearby wall "Ok! That... hurt." he struggled to his feet, and soon regained his fighting stance. "Hang on boy. This thing doesn't seem to be too smart. See if you can stun it again." Link nodded in agreement and picked up a small stone at his feet. "Hey! You!" he shouted as he chucked the rock full force. It simply bounced off the creatures exo-skeleton, seemingly doing no damage whatsoever. However, it did it's job, it re-directed the creatures attention back to him. It screeched in defiance, and charged full force toward the two. "Now!" Ezlo called, the creature mere inches from pinning the boy against the wall. Upon command, Link rolled to his right, causing the creature to slam into the wall this time, breaking in it a hole large enough to fit its head in, and get stuck. It flailed about in attempt to free itself, but to no avail. "Now boy! Now's your chance!" without a word in responce, Link ran to the tails end and slashed repeatedly. With each cut, the creature flailed even more until it finally went limp, its body carbonized, and crumbled until nothing but dust remained.

Afterword, Link peered through the the large hole in the wall. Inside was a small cavern containing a single blue, rectangular chest. Curious, Link stepped into the cavern and examined the chest. It was old, and covered in dust and cobwebs. All the same, the large chest was unlocked. Links curiosity piqued. Without a second thought, he opened the chest and peered inside. Inside was a strange blue and white jar. "What the H-" "The Gust Jar!" Ezlo interrupted. At Ezlo's sudden outburst, link glanced up hesitantly. "How do you know what it is?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "My boy, I know many things. It's an old Minish relic."

Link couldn't help but get the feeling there was more to it, but chose not to make an issue of it. "Alright, so how does it work?" he asked. Ezlo thought for a moment. "Alright, see those massive cobwebs in front of that door across the room? Stand in front of them, and hold the jar in front of you." Link shrugged and did as he was told. "Now concentrate. Immagine yourself using the jar's power to suck up the webs." "What the heck good is that gonna do?" Link snipped. "Just do it boy!" Ezlo shot back. With a sigh, Link closed his eyes and concentrated. Within seconds, the jar suddenly vibrated for a moment before a small tornado formed at the opening of the jar. Link quickly opened his eyes to see the webbing in front of him get ripped away from the door frame, and into the jar. just then, the small tornado vanished. "Woa! That was amazing!" Ezlo chuckled. "Yes, you did well boy. Now, lets move on." Link nodded, and tied the jar to his belt. "Right" he said, marching through the door.

The two proceeded through the shrine with little other conflict other than the occasional mushroom-looking Puffstools. After dropping through a hole, Link found himself on a small platform surrounded by nothing but deep water and a large lillipad. Link hopped on the lillipad and pushed off the platform with his foot, pushing the pad out into the water. "What I wouldn't give for some orr's right now." Link joked. Ezlo pondered for a moment. "Actually boy, you can do one better. The Gust Jar has a secondary ability." "Oh?" "Yes. The jar can not only use high speed winds to draw in objects, but also to repel them. Or in this case, repel you from other objects. Use that force to push you around on the lillipad." Link pondered a moment, playing out the situation in his head. "You know Ezlo. That's so crazy, it just might work." Ezlo beamed "Of corse it will work. It WAS my idea." Link snorted a bit at Ezlo's stroking of his own Ego. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. So i just concentrate on it doing what i want it to?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed. "Essentially, yes." Ezlo responded. In doing this, Link managed to steer the lillipad like a raft using only the power of The Gust Jar.

Not long after, Link found himself face-to-face with a gaint stone door, chained shut with a large, golden lock. Link dug the golden key from his bag that he had collected during his ordeals in the shrines dungeon. It seemed to match the lock on the door before him. It had the same golden color, as well as the top of the key same devil-shaped head design as the lock. Link glanced between the two for a moment before speaking. "So... this is it eh? The room where they keep the Earth Elemental is just behind that door?" he asked, glancing up at his hat. "Thats what the ancient Minish writing on the door says." Link shrugged. "Eh, who am I doubt ancient text that I can't read?" Link said sarcastically. Ezlo rolled his eyes. "Just open the door boy. The sooner we get that element, the sooner we can get out of this musty old place." Link nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan." he said, stepping forward and placing the key in the lock. He attempted to turn it but the key didn't budge. "Awe, don't tell me this the wrong key! I just don't think i can handle it!" Link shouted out the door, a great deal of annoyance in his voice. "Remember boy. That lock hasn't been opened several hundred years. Maybe you just need to put more force into it." Ezlo said, looking closer at the lock. "Uh... yeah, I guess that makes sense." he said, attempting to turn the key again. Putting all his effort into it, finally, the key turned and the locking mechanism clicked. The lock fell to the floor, the spring loaded chains quickly sprung back to there proper places on the door frame. The door then slowly rose to the ceiling, dirt and rock dust fell from the opening as the old mechanism was put to work for the first time in hundreds of years.

Finally, the door was open. and in the center of the room there was a large beam of sunlight. It shined upon a pedistole marked with the sign of the Earth Element. Atop it, was a violet colored relic that radiated the light to the point where it was nearly blinding. "Thats gotta be it!" he called, running toward it. It was then that several Green ChuChus landed onto the pedistol. They had jumped from the hole in the ceiling. They suddenly charged with the elements power, what seemed like and electric field surrounded all of them. "Oh dear." Ezlo peeped as they all began to grow until they all eventually formed into a single Big Green ChuChu. "It's... Huge!" Link shouted, somewhat in worry. "Oh no! L-look, Boy!" Ezlo stammered, his beak-like mouth quivering slightly. It took only a second for Link to realize Ezlo's worries. Links body grew limp as he saw the Big Green ChuChu absorb the Earth Element into its jelly-like blob of a body. Once the powerful relic reached the center of the blobs body it let out a loud cry as it raced toward the hero. Link instantly snapped to attention and drew his sword. "It may be big, but im sure it'll die just like the rest of em!" he shouted angrily as he made a slash for the ChuChu's body. The blade made contact and sliced through its jelly-like body like it was butter. The ChuChu screamed as some of its body content oozed from the wound, but quickly healed. It angrily glared down at its assailant for a moment. It was then that suddenly a force field of sorts surrounded the creatures body, repelling Link, sending him flying across the room. He screamed in pain as his body was tossed away before slamming into a nearby wall.

The wind knocked out of him, the hero struggled to climb back to his feet, while gasping for air. Before he could fully regain himself, the creature took the opportunity to jump into the air and smother link into its gelatinous underbody. He still couldn't breathe, his vision was getting blurry, his body starting to shut down. However, instead of merely accepting death, Link summoned the last of his strength to grip his sword tightly and slice his way out. His left arm swung violently as he tore his way out of the creature. Finally, when he could feel his last moments approaching, he made his way out through the last layer of the creatures body. A breeze of the dungeons musty air rushed against his face, before filling his lungs. The young hero staggered from the creatures body, taking in deep breaths before collapsing to the ground for a moment. The sound of the creature screaming in agony filled his ears, but Link didn't care. He was just happy to feel the rhythm of his own heartbeat.

"Ugh, Thank Farror." Link grumbled as he slowly climbed to his feet. The large creature could now be found on the ground, screeching in pain, its tentacle-like legs had been cut loose from the rest of its body. Link had clearly done a number on it. But it wouldn't be long before the creature just shifted some of its body jelly to its lower half and be back to full fighting strength again. It was all almost too much for Link to handle. He had gone through so much that he wasn't prepared for all in one day. His body was exhausted. _"Im sorry Zelda. Looks like I might not be able to save you after-all" _he thought to himself. If only he could renew his strength, he might be able to finish off this monster. It was then that a memory came back to him. "Thats right! That Milk!" Link shouted excitedly as he dug into his bag. Ezlo began rock violently on Link's head "Curse it boy, have to lost your mind? You just nearly escaped death and all you can think about is MILK?" at that, Link pulled out a bottle with a picture of a cow's head, and the words 'Lon Lon Milk.' Printed on it. It was about half full of the creamy, white liquid. Ezlo was silent for a moment, hesitant at what to say. "Are you... sure thats a good idea boy. I mean, its kinda warm in here and-" "Don't worry." Link said, pulling the cork from the top of the bottle. "Lon Lon Milk NEVER goes bad." he said before tipping his head back, and letting the last of the bottles contents wash down his throat. He let out a relieved sigh as he wiped the last little bit from his lips with the back of his hand. As he re-corked the bottle and placed into his pouch. He could feel the rejuvenating power of the milk fill his body. he could feel his muscles strengthen, and his bones become like iron. Links energy was restored, and he was feeling better than ever.

It this moment, he noticed that the cries of the ChuChu could no longer be heard, and a large dark shadow befell him. "Oh no you dont!" Link shouted as he rolled forward. As the ChuChu, which had once again jumped in order to smother link with its body, came crashing to the ground; Link just barely rolled out of its path. The creature landed hard, its mass shifting down into a pancake-like shape before regaining its form. "We better find out a way to get rid of this guy soon!" Ezlo shouted, a bit shaken from just barely avoiding certain death. "I wonder if the jar to help?" Ezlo asked rhetorically. "Actually Ezlo." Link said, grabbing The Gust Jar that was clipped to his side still. "What a great idea." The hero in green held the jar facing out and turned to face his opponent. He concentrated for a moment, and the jar reacted. A tornado, much larger than ever before, errupted from the jar. The loud whistling of the whipping winds echoed throughout the room. Just as link had planned, the jar began to gather the ChuChu's body content. Once its bottom half had been sucked away from it's body, the tornado vanished, and the Big Green ChuChu's upper body slammed to the ground, as it screeched in pain once more. Link reacted quickly. He clipped the Jar back to his side and rushed the Injured creature.

Ezlo was slightly confused at the plan, but chose not to question the boy's methods. After all, he wouldn't charge into the face of death without a plan. At least... he hoped. It was then that he heard the scraping sound of Link's metal blade being ripped from its sheath. It was then that it had occurred to the bird-like hat creature that maybe the blonde haired boy really HAD lost his mind, and was planning to go down swinging like a mad man. _"Alas, Hyrule is doomed." _he thought to himself as Link, seemingly without thought, slashed wildly at the green blob, spewing its gooey green body content everywhere. It was then, that Link thrust his free hand into the jelly creatures center until it clutched the ancient earth relic. "That's brilliant boy!" Ezlo shouted excitedly. If the Earth Element was the source of the large creatures power, then removing it would surely kill it.

As link ripped out the elemental relic he stumbled a bit and fell on his back. His sword fell from his hand, and clanged loudly against the cobblestone floor. With its power source suddenly removed, the creatures eyes grew wide as it let out one final screech in terror before its body expanded, and finally exploded. It let out a loud popping noise as gallons for the jelly like goo flung every which direction, covering nearly every corner of the room. Realizing the battle had been won, Link wiped some goo from his large grin with one hand, and held the Element victoriously above his head in the other.

"You did it boy! You were brilliant!" Ezlo praised. "Did you have any doubts?" Link said smugly. "Not even for a moment!" This was a lie, but Ezlo felt that the boy deserved a bit of praise for not only escaping death, but emerging victorious with the element in hand. After enjoying there moment of victory, Link's smile faded. "Hey, Ezlo." Link called, realizing a small dilemma. "Yes my boy?" "Uhm... how do we get outta here?" The room was silent for a moment. "Oh dear." Ezlo peeped once more.


End file.
